Switch-turner.



No. 682,032. Patented Sept. 3, l90l. E. B. CLARK.

SWITCH TURNER.

(Application filed Dec. 18, 1800.)

(No Model.)

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Patented sent. 3, "WI. E. B. CLARK. SWITCH TURNER.

(Applicntion filed Dpc. 1B, 1900) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD l3. CLARK, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HOSEA NAPAY, OF SAME PLACE.

SWITCH-TU RN ER.

.JEEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,032, dated September 3, 1901.

Application filed December 18, 1900. Serial No. 40,269. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. CLARK, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful. Improvements in Switch- Turners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a street-railwaytrack switch, showing the application thereto of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional View, in side elevation, thereof and of a portion of the car equipped with my improved means for operating the switch apparatus. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional viewindicated by the line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a portional view similar to Fig. 3, showing the operating-shoes in normal position. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modified construction wherein the rotating disk is located ata point more remote from the switchpoint. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the rotating disk removed and exposing the connections to the switch. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, indicated by the line VII VII of Fig. 1.. Fig. 8 is a partial under plan view of the rotating disk, showing the ball-bearings.

ating-crank 5, which crank-arm is adapted to be partially rotated in conformity with the partial rotating movement of the disk 6. The crank-arm 5 is preferably keyed to a central arm '7, secured in the disk, or such connection may be made with the disk itself either by an integral arm or an ordinary wrist-pin connection tapped in the under side of the disk at a suitable position and distance from the center. The disk is mounted within a case S, the upper edge of which is on a level with the road way-surface, the case having an inner cavity of sufiicient size to accommodate the working parts, and provided with an integral flange 9, the upper surface of which provides a bearing-face for the ball-bearings 10, for which purpose the uppersurfaces may be turned off or faced. The balls 10 are mounted in suitable grooves 11 in the under face of the disk 6 and are held therein by retaining-plates 12, having elongated slots 13, permitting the free travel of the balls in either direction. The disk, as shown, is provided with a peripheral flange 14, overlapping the upper edge of the case, which is suitably recessed, permitting it to lie flush with the upper edge and effectually preventing the entrance to the interior of the case of foreign matter, such as dirt, stones, &c. The upper face of the disk is provided with radially or other arranged corrugations 15, which extend slightly above the upper surface of the disk and also of the roadway-level, giving opportunity for engagement with the corrugations of the operating-shoe, which is mounted underneath the car. These shoes 16, of which there are preferably two, are shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and consist of elongated narrow skateshapedpieces of metal,the lower face of which may be corrugated and the forward ends of which are turned up to facilitate riding over the upper surface of the disk. The shoes are mounted in positions corresponding with both opposite sides of the upper face of the disk and are mounted on the outside, end of the tilting arms 17, which are keyed or otherwise secured to a central rock-shaft 18, supported from the car-body or from the framework of the truck, midway between the wheels. The rock-shaft 18 is provided with lever-arms 20 at each side, the outer ends of which are pivotally secured to vertical stems 21, mounted in bearinge 22, provided with treadles 23 and intervening springs 24. The springs 24 may be employed to equalize the pressure and to maintain the parts in the inoperative position shown in Fig. 4:. In case the operatingshoes are mounted midway of the car, upon the switch-point as shown in Fig. 5, 'permitting the point to be shifted before the carwheels have reached it, and by this construction the motorman is enabled to see the switch-point move before the car runs over the switch. When the shoes 16 are mounted as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, at least one or both of the switch-points are sutficiently far in advance of the wheels to insure such movement in good time.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description, the motorman depressing one or the other of the shoes, as indicated to take a right or left hand track or to throw the switch-point when set for the side to the main track. The shoe being thrown down will come into effective operating contact with the corrugated upper surface of the disk, the corrugations of which are beveled upwardly, as shown in Fig. 9, and the disk, by reason of the ball-bearings, will very easily rotate under such frictional contact, due to the forward movement of the car, and will throw the switch over, after which the shoe will be released by the motorman, or if still held down will slide freely over the upper surface, and it will be observed that by my construction such sliding action is facilitated by reason of the absence of any positive locking engagement with the disk. This feature is of great advantage, as it renders the device practically independent of the necessity of any especial skill on the part of the operator.

It will be observed that the switch-point is free to be operated by the ordinary switchiron, as the connections to the disk will not lock it or interfere with such operation.

Various changes or modifications may be made in the construction or arrangement of the various parts without departing from my invention within the province of the designing engineer or skilled mechanic, and Ido not desire to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but to include all such changes as within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a rotatable disk and connections therefrom to a -movable switch-point, ofa shoem mounted underneath the car-body, and provided with frictionalcorruga-tions on the lower side and means for depressing it into rubbing contact with the upper surface of the disk, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a horizontal rotatable disk and connections therefrom to a movable switch-point, of a shoe having a corrugated under surface mounted underneath the car-bod y, and means for depressingit into rubbing contact with the upper surface of the disk, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a rotatable disk, provided with corrugations on its upper surface, and connections therefrom to a movable switch-point, of a shoe mounted underneath the car-body and means for depressing it into rubbing contact with the upper surface of the disk, substantially as set forth.

4 The combination of a rotatable disk, a case there for provided with a bearing-surface, intervening ball bearings and connections from the disk to a movable switch-point; of a shoe having a corrugated surface mounted underneath the car-body, with means for depressing it into rubbing contact with the disk, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a rotatable disk provided with a corrugated upper surface, a case in which the disk is mounted upon ball-bearings, a connecting-rod secured to the switch and to mechanism adapted to move a switchpoint, and a shoe mounted on a rock-shaft with means for throwing the shoe into rubbing contact with the upper surface of the disk, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a rotatable disk provided with a corrugated upper surface, a case in which the disk is mounted upon ball-bearings, aconnecting-rod secured to the switch, and to mechanism adapted to move a switchpoint, a rock-shaft centrally mounted to the car-framing,lateral crank-arms secured thereto, longitudinal friction-shoes supported from the ends of the crank-arms, and treadle-rods attached to operating-cranks secured to the rock-shaft, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Pittsburg this 5th day of November, 1900.

EDYVARD B. CLARK.

Vitnesses:

PETER J. EDWARDS, C. M. CLARKE. 

